How Do Birds Know When to Migrate?
Lengthening days set off a cascade of events in migratory birds that culminates in the birth of a clutch of chicks.....»»
The physics of how gentoo penguins can swim speedily underwater
A variable called the "angle of thrust" explains why finned wings generate so much thrust. Enlarge / Gentoo penguins are the world's fastest swimming birds, thanks to the unique shape and structure of their wings. (credit: Priya.....»»
Stressed rattlesnakes found to calm down in the company of a nearby "friend"
When a creature's stress levels decrease because of the presence of a companion, it is known as social buffering. In highly social animals, such as mammals and birds, this phenomenon is well studied. Now, researchers have examined social buffering in.....»»
Fossils reveal how ancient birds molted, could explain why modern birds survived while other dinosaurs died
Every bird you've ever seen—every robin, every pigeon, every penguin at the zoo—is a living dinosaur. Birds are the only group of dinosaurs that survived the asteroid-induced mass extinction 66 million years ago. But not all the birds alive at th.....»»
Children"s nature drawings reveal a focus on mammals and birds, suggesting imbalances in ecological awareness
When asked to draw their local wildlife, 401 UK schoolchildren aged seven to 11 most commonly drew mammals and birds, while amphibians and reptiles appeared in the fewest drawings, suggesting imbalances in children's ecological awareness. Kate Howlet.....»»
All animal intelligence was shaped by just five leaps in brain evolution, new paper argues
The animal world is full of different types of intelligence, from the simple bodily coordination of jellyfish to the navigation abilities of bees, the complex songs of birds and the imaginative symbolic thought of humans......»»
Research shows vineyard fungicides pose a threat to survival of wild birds
New research reveals that wild birds living in vineyards can be highly susceptible to contamination by triazole fungicides, more so than in other agricultural landscapes. Exposure to these fungicides at a field-realistic level were found to disrupt h.....»»
Counting Africa"s largest bat colony with AI
Once a year, a small forest in Zambia becomes the site of one of the world's greatest natural spectacles. In November, straw-colored fruit bats migrate from across the African continent to a patch of trees in Kasanka National Park. For reasons not ye.....»»
Study finds birds raise fewer young when spring arrives earlier in a warming world
Rising global temperatures are making it harder for birds to know when it's spring and time to breed according to a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences......»»
AI improving understanding of migratory birds" internal clock, map and compass
Different species of migrating bird have different genetically programmed procedures that signal when it is time to head off and when it is time to return. It may have to do with factors such as daylight, temperature, weather and the Earth's magnetic.....»»
Songbird study shows one-hit wonder must change his tune to attract a mate
Male birds that are able to precisely repeat song notes stand the best chance of attracting a female mate, according to a new study published in Nature Communications......»»
Bird Populations Are in Meltdown
Humans rely on birds to eat insects, spread seeds, and pollinate plants—but these feathered friends can’t survive without their habitats......»»
Different pathways for achieving endothermy in teleost fish species
Endothermic animals include mammals and birds, but there are also some fish capable of endothermy. Over hundreds of millions of years of evolution, at least 40 species of fish have overcome the challenge of losing heat in water and successfully achie.....»»
Penguin propulsion: The physics behind the world"s fastest swimming birds
Penguins aren't just cute: they're also speedy. Gentoo penguins are the fastest swimming birds in the world, and that ability comes from their unique and sophisticated wings......»»
Studying the parenting behavior of poison frogs using tadpole-like robots
Over the past few decades, roboticists have developed robots inspired by a wide range of animals, including dogs, snakes, birds, spiders, bats, octopus, and different types of insects. These robots were primarily designed to tackle real-world practic.....»»
New technologies reveal the impact of circular economy on threatened species such as the Egyptian vulture
If urban landfills disappear under the new European regulation, some endangered birds such as the Egyptian vulture will need alternatives to their feeding patterns in order to survive in the future......»»
El Niño, not avian flu, caused the deaths of hundreds of birds in Mexico, government says
When hundreds of birds were found dead along Mexico's Pacific coast earlier this year, experts immediately suspected avian flu......»»
People"s choice: Snowy owl and kingfisher triumph as Finland"s most attractive birds
Recent research has revealed which bird species are the most pleasant to the human eye, and which are less attractive. The most visually appealing species were often colorful birds, but also some large birds of prey are in the top......»»
Researchers: Why we"re "interviewing" captive birds to find the best to release into the wild
Not all animals are the same. Even within a species, some are bolder and better at solving problems than others. We have found this to be true in the case of the critically endangered Bali myna, a rare bird found only on the island of Bali in Indones.....»»
Which came first: The reptile or the egg?
The earliest reptiles, birds and mammals may have borne live young, researchers from Nanjing University and University of Bristol have revealed......»»
Why we’re “interviewing” captive birds to find the best to release into the wild
Experiments with the endangered Bali myna showed some birds are bolder than others. Enlarge / The Bali myna is an endangered and protected bird species bred by several conservation societies to preserve its population in the wild.....»»